Greek at NW – Rebecca from InterVarsity-twentyonehundred on Vimeo.

That was over four years ago and looking back the risk I took by joining my Fraternity was the single best decision I have ever made in my life. Quickly after joining I was invited to numerous Greek Intervarsity events by amazing leaders in my Chapter; through large groups, bible studies, and social events I soon felt like I did fit in here and that I could maintain my values and beliefs while being Greek. My four years in Purdue’s GIV Chapter were incredible for both my spiritual and personal growth. I was transformed from a lukewarm churchgoer to a bible study and ministry leader to those around me.

As I graduated last spring I couldn’t help but reflect on what an immeasurable role my Fraternity played in shaping the person I had become. Graduating, however, opened up an entirely new set of challenges and opportunities. One of my biggest challenges was how I was going to continue to grow in my relationship with Christ now that I didn’t have my GIV community. After a ton of thoughts I made the decision to spend part of my summer in Kenya on a Global Project. Similarly to pledging, this was a huge risk but would hopefully pay off with huge rewards.

In late June I packed up and headed to Chicago to meet the rest of the team, a group organized by Northern Illinois’s IV Chapter. Over the next five weeks I would encounter too many life changing experiences to count. We spent our time in a variety of mission related activities. A majority of those activities revolved around a group called Homeless Children International (HCI). HCI is a ministry to serve children in need; whether orphaned/abandoned by their parents or taken off the streets, HCI was able to provide children in need with shelter, education, and a place to call home. I quickly grew attached to these amazing children. I loved every minute I spent with them: whether teaching them some new math, pushing them on the swings, or just being there to show these children the love they so desperately deserved. I felt like I was truly making a difference in these kids lives.

I was so blessed to be able to share my love and God’s love with these children. This trip once again stretched me out of my comfort zone and once again allowed me to grow even closer to God. My experience in Kenya was life-changing in so many ways. I thought that I would find myself broken by the extreme poverty of the country and to an extent I did, but more importantly was the joy I found in an amazing group of people. Despite the fact that they didn’t have an Xbox 360, nice clothing, or even a person to call mom or dad these children were far happier than anyone I have ever encountered. They took great joy in the simplest of things: a $.10 piece of fruit at the market, someone to push them on the swings, or most importantly the chance to praise and worship the Lord for their many gifts. Their faith and desire to live a Christ-worthy life was remarkable and in many ways it was the people of Kenya that were making an impact on my life and not vice versa.
No longer sheltered by my safe and comfortable American university life, I was able to find God in new and powerful ways.

Our God is an amazing being; He is big enough to influence the entire universe and people of all walks of life yet small enough to personally impact each and every one of us. I look back on my nervous and scared self four years ago and am amazed at how God has been able to not only work in my life, but to influence those around me. Through Fraternity life (Yes, Fraternity life) and with God at my back, I truly have been able to further my personal relationship with Christ, bring God into my Chapter house, help renew my campus, and bring about some positive change in the world!

I am studying abroad this summer in Kenya and working with a ministry here called HEART’S WEEP. They minister to 19-40 year old women who have AIDS/HIV who have been completely ostracized from their society by the enormous stigma associated with this disease. Abused and abandoned by their husbands, disowned by their communities, these women have worked together to completely turn their lives around, as well as the lives of their children (some of whom are HIV-positive as well.) Banding together to overcome the immense shame and degradation they lived through, they are now all on ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs) and have learned to sew school uniforms and other goods, which they sell for a profit. Some of the women could barely move and were expected to die any minute when they arrived at our doorstep, but now they are strong and healthy enough to dance and sing songs of praise with us…truly an inspiration. A lot of them told us that they were never expecting to live to see the year 2009, but now they all have so much faith and hope for the future. Maureen, who is 19 with two kids (one 4 years old) used to be so frail and so embarrassed/ashamed that she would hardly uncover her face or mutter a word. Today she stood up, and while still timid, smiled and introduced herself to us, sharing her awesome story. The women find out about the program because they see their friends lives transformed. When they ask these women what happened and how they look so great the women involved with our program bring them to the HEART’s WEEP center in Kibera, Kenya to see for themselves. One woman’s family had sent her away and literally bought her a coffin as they were just waiting for her to die…unimaginable. Today she is strong and is able to raise her children, make money, and empower other women as well. The women have become so strong that HEART’s WEEP just started a program called PROPS (Parent Rescue Orphan Prevention Strategy) where certain women are trained at the HEART’s WEEP center to become counselors to other women, because if we can help the parents fight AIDS and keep them alive, we will be preventing children from becoming orphans in the first place. From the moment I met the these women, they were constantly hugging me, shaking my hand, and thanking me for everything, even though they have done it all. They have come to God through HEART’s WEEP, they pray together, and their prayers have truly been answered…their prayers have saved their lives. And I get to see all of this happen right in front of me and be part of it. I know this summer will change my life forever. I am amazed at what God is doing over here. It makes me realize once more that God wants to use me in whatever situation he puts me in. This coming Fall I am excited to begin serving as a leader for Greek IV and to help transform the Greek system at UVA for Christ. God is moving in me this summer and I can’t wait to see how I will get to use this new found passion for my faith and the skills I am learning over here in Africa this summer this coming Fall.

Click here to read more about HEART

Additional Links

Click here for more info on the Hatian fraternity.

Click here to see a video of the trip.

On our first day, we looked at vision. We asked God to give us a theme to work towards our vision throughout the year. God gave all of us the idea of being a more unified movement, as we continue to reach out to the Greek System. It was amazing to watch the students listen to God, and than to begin planning the year on a vision that they owned and that God had given them!

Throughout camp, the leaders grew closer together, and more unified as they thought about their mission to the Greek System at UGA.

While they were growing more unified with each other, they were also developing cross ethnic relationships with students from other campuses; specifically the schools from Georgia! They were able and willing to enter into relationships with people who were different, which helped them to be unified with the big body of Christ that is trying to reach campuses across the southeast, and students of every nation!

Our leadership team also had a small conflict during camp. When we came together to deal with the conflict, God grew our team together, bonding us with more than just a shared mission, but with a deep love and trust for one another!

At the end of camp, we anointed each of the student leaders to go back to campus. As I put the oil on each of their foreheads, I got excited about their generation. The past two years, have been me leading the students towards a vision God had given me, but that night I realized that God was giving them the reins and the vision! They we’re becoming world changers ready and excited to impact UGA’s Greek System!

Two years ago, Amy became the Director of Finance for the Fulfillment Fund, a nonprofit college access organization that helps promising yet educationally underserved and economically disadvantaged students graduate from high school and complete college. The students she works with come from the lowest performing schools in Los Angeles where the graduation rate is less than 45% district wide. But 70% of the students in her program graduate from high school and out of those, 90% go on to college. Amy says this:

“It is great to be a part of an organization that is trying to make a positive difference in the lives of students and by extension, the community. I love being able to use both my financial and my legal background to make the world a better place.”

Beyond work, Amy is a six time participant in the Breast Cancer 60 mile walk, teaches a kindergarten Sunday school class at church, volunteers weekly with elementary girls in the church Awana program, and leads a weekly church small group in her home with her husband.

Andy Dalton, Amy’s former staff worker and current National Director of Greek InterVarsity says, “As her staff worker, I have very fond memories of how God met Amy at IU and worked through her to share His message with her sorority sisters. But I can honestly say that I am just as excited now to hear how God is using Amy as a World Changer. In my eyes, she is a joyous representation of the 7000 graduates that God has reached through the ministry of Greek InterVarsity over the past 15 years.”

Join us in praying for the more than 2000 Greek students across the country presently involved in this ministry, that they too would become World Changers wherever God calls them.